Fastenerless gravity retained cantilevered outdoor cooking assemblies and related methods

ABSTRACT

Cantilevered outdoor cooking assemblies, and related methods, are disclosed, which comprise one or more cantilevered cooking trays adjustably suspended from an erect post by gravity without fasteners.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to outdoor cooking grills and, more particularly, to fastenerless gravity retained cantilevered outdoor cooking assemblies, and related methods, where one or more cooking trays are adjustable and removably suspended by gravity without fasteners from a post, staff or column in cantilevered relation.

BACKGROUND

The need for outdoor cooking has produced a variety of outdoor grills and other cooking apparatus, as well as various techniques for outdoor cooking. Prior proposals have ranged from cooking foil-covered food placed directly in campfires to massive propane or butane fired complex and massive grill systems, which involve a high initial expense, sometimes expensive maintenance and the periodic need to purchase replacement tanks or canisters of fuel. Storage, when idle, requires considerable space. While such complex and massive grill systems can be loaded into a truck or trailer, loading, transporting to a campsite and unloading are troublesome tasks. Cleaning is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Cabela's markets a post mounted grill assembly requiring three point suspension of a grill tray, a telescopic tee connector between the post and the grill tray requiring two large manual set screws, which creates a danger that campers, especially children, may be burned by touching the set screws or other easily grasp parts of the grill assembly.

Provision of a simplified outdoor grill assembly which is fastenerless, cantilevered and gravity retained, can be readily disassembled for easy low volume storage and for facile cleaning would be desirable. Provision of an outdoor grill assembly, and related methods, where the number of parts are few and the cooking tray or trays are suspended or hang in cantilevered relation by force of gravity without fasteners, and are vertically adjustable, without loosening of parts, would be desirable. Provision of an outdoor grill assembly, and related methods, which is simplified, cost-effective, requires no technical competence by or training by the user, has an exceptionally long life expectancy and reduces the risk that a user, including a child, will be burned would be desirable.

BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

In brief summary, the present invention overcomes or alleviates problems of the past in the field of cooking food out-of-doors.

The invention may be in the form of a cantilevered outdoor cooking assembly, and related methods, where one or more cooking trays are retained by gravity without fasteners, where each tray is adjustable and is removably suspended from a post or column in cantilevered relation.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to overcome or alleviate problems of the past in the field of cooking food out of doors.

Another paramount object is the provision of novel cantilevered outdoor cooking assemblies and related methods, where one or more cooking trays or grills are retained by gravity without fasteners, where each tray or grill is adjustable and is removably suspended from a post or column in cantilevered relation.

It is an important object of this invention to provide novel outdoor cooking assemblies, and related methods, having one or more of the following characteristics:

-   -   a. compact;     -   b. cost-effective;     -   c. easily assembled and disassembled for use and low volume         storage and transportation;     -   d. easily cleaned;     -   e. simplistic, with few parts;     -   f. comprising cooking trays suspended or hung in cantilevered         relation by force of gravity from a post or column, without         fasteners, in vertically adjustable cantilevered relation to the         post or column;     -   g. requires no technical training or competence on the part of         the user;     -   h. provides an exceptionally long useful life expectancy; and     -   i. reduces the risk that a person may be burned.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description taken with reference to accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the diagrammatic illustration of the basic principles of the present invention, shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section showing one manner in which a cooking and warming platform is adjustably securely positioned in cantilevered relation on a post, column or staff by force of gravity, without fasteners;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section showing another way for adjustably securing a cooking and warming platform in cantilevered relation on a post or staff by force of gravity, without fasteners;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustrating a presently preferred outdoor cooking/warming assembly of the present invention, where each cooking tray or platform is gravity suspended without use of a fastener in cantilevered relation using an outwardly extending anchor, tab or ear;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary perspectives, each of an outdoor cooking tray or platform to be gravity suspended without use of a fastener from a post in cantilevered relation using an inwardly extending anchor, tab or ear;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross section of one way the post may be supported in an erect position at its lower end, by driving the post into the ground, and one way of generating heat to cook and warm food on a cantilevered platform;

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are fragmentary cross sections which illustrate in elevation other ways in which the post may be held in a vertically erect position;

FIGS. 11-13 diagrammatically illustrate in elevation other ways heat may be generated to cook and warm food on a platform; and

FIG. 14 illustrates in fragmentary perspective a non-circular post and a non-circular aperture in a tab of a cooking platform.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout. FIG. 1 is diagrammatic, in elevation, illustrating the basic principles of the present invention, i.e., gravity suspension of one or more cooking trays or platforms suspended in cantilevered fashion without gravity and without any fastener in any of a large number of available positions. Where specifically, the present invention comprises a vertically erect post 20, formed of any suitable material, steel being one of the preferred materials. Post 20 comprises an upper free end 22 over which an apertured tab 24 of each tray, grill or cooking platform 26 is inserted such that the moment or torque force on each platform 26 causes it to tilt downward from the horizontal by a few degrees so that opposed edges of the aperture in the tab edge bind against the post 20 due to the force of gravity to retain the platform 26 in a selected position. This position can be changed vertically and/or horizontally by returning the platform 26 to horizontal and moving the apertured tab 24 up or down, as desired, to relocate the position of the cooking platform, tray or grill 26. The post 20 comprises a lower end 23, which is anchored in any suitable way, either removably or permanently, so as to preserve the post in a substantially vertically erect posture.

Each platform may be formed of a suitable material, typically steel or cast iron, although other materials may be used. Each cooking tray or grill 26 may be either solid or porous, as explained herein in greater detail.

One or more sources of heat 28, of any suitable type, may be provided to cook and/or warm food placed upon the top of the associated tray 26.

With reference to FIG. 2, the manner in which tab 24 retains the associated cooking platform 26 in a selected position is illustrated in an enlarged fragmentary format. Aperture 30 is shown disposed in tab 24, having a transverse dimension greater than the transverse dimension of the post 20. Thus, when the cantilevered weight of the platform 26 causes the platform to rotate in a clockwise direction, as illustrated in FIG. 2, top corner portion 32 and bottom corner portion 34 of aperture surface 30 each bite into the external surface of the post 20 to bindingly retain the platform in its selected position, typically at the proper vertical distance above the associated source of heat 28 (FIG. 1) to accommodate cooking or continued warming of food already cooked, where the food is disposed on the top of the associated cooking tray. The sizes of post 20 and aperture 30 are selected so that the angle of inclination of the tray or platform to the horizontal is small. Thus, food on the tray will remain in stable positions. No fastener is utilized and the gravity-caused retention of the platform 26 in its selected position accommodates a stable relationship between the food, the platform and the source of heat.

In situations where, for example, maintaining the cooking platform 26 in an exact horizontal position is important, the post 22 may be provided with spaced blind bores 36, into which one or more pins 38 may be inserted for gravity retention of an associated cooking grill 26, without utilization of fasteners. See FIG. 3. Each pin 38 may be removed from an initial blind bore 36, the associated platform 26 relocated and the pin 38 inserted into the blind bore 36 immediately below the position of the relocated cooking tray 36.

With reference to FIG. 7, the post 20 may be driven into the ground 40 at penetration site 42, so that the lower end 23 of the post 20 extends a sufficient distance into the soil to provide stability for the post, thereby retaining the post in a substantially vertically erect posture. The source of heat 28 comprising, for example, ignited briquets, may provide heat for cooking and/or warming food on one or more platforms 26. When the cooking is over and the cooking assembly has cooled, the components of the assembly may be easily and quickly separated, the post 20 pulled from the ground 40 and the components stored or placed in a vehicle to be transported to a desired location.

With reference to the cooking assembly of FIG. 4, post 20 is illustrated as having been driven into the ground, in a manner shown and explained in conjunction with FIG. 7, so as to extend in a stable vertically erect position. The upper end 22 of the post 20 comprises an end which can sustain, without metal deformation, the blows of a sledge hammer or like instrument by which the post 20 is driven into the ground 40. As explained in conjunction with FIG. 1, the sole source of support for each platform 26, of which there are two illustrated in FIG. 4, is the apertured tab 24, which functions in the manner explained above and illustrated in particular in FIG. 2. The grill shown to the right in FIG. 4, is a porous grill, comprising a rectangular frame 44, equipped with lifting handles 46. The porous grating 48 spans the entire interior within and is attached to the frame 44.

The cooking tray shown at the left in FIG. 4 is of solid material comprising a rectangular upwardly directed flange 50 around the entire perimeter, equipped with lifting handles 46 and a central planar relatively large impervious cooking layer 52 formed as one piece with and filling the entire interior within the flange 50. The configuration of FIG. 4 could be constrained to one cooking grill or expanded beyond two cooking grills, as desired by the user. One or more heat sources may be utilized to cook and warm the food. Where one heat source is used with two platforms, the platform on which cooked food exists, may be lifted into a horizontal position and then elevated and/or rotated so as to be remote from the source of heat.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate that the aperture 30 may be placed either on an internal tab 24A (FIG. 5) of an associated cooking tray 26 or at one end of the planar cooking sheet 52, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, an external or outwardly extending tab, such as tab 24, is not per se mandatory.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate various ways that the lower end 23 of the post 20 may be secured so as to retain the post 20 in a substantially vertically erect position. Specifically, end 23 is shown in FIG. 8 as being embedded in concrete 60 while the concrete is wet, after which the concrete sets and cures. This post approach is obviously a permanent one, for use, for example, at a specific site in the backyard of the user.

FIG. 10 illustrates a similar approach wherein a metal sleeve 62 is embedded in concrete while wet, after which the concrete sets and cures with the sleeve in place. The internal diameter of the sleeve 62 is selected so as to snugly receive the lower end 23 of the post 20 to preserve the erect nature of the post. The post is removable.

FIG. 9 illustrates that a stand 64, comprising a vertical boss 66, with the stand placed upon a ground or other support surface 68 at essentially any desired location, to provide both stability and portability. The boss 66 defines an interior transverse dimension slightly greatly than the transverse dimension of the post 20 such that the lower end 23 of the post can be fitted into the boss 66 to preserve the erect nature of post 20 and later removed.

In reference to FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, any form by which heat can be generated to cook food on grills, platforms or trays 26 falls within the scope of the present invention. For example, in reference to FIGS. 7 and 11, the heat source 28 may be briquets, coal, wood, or other combustible material placed on the ground or in an open top container 70, which container is placed directly on the ground, on a concrete surface or on a platform 26.

Similarly, with reference to FIG. 12, the source of heat 28 may comprise a gas heater 72 of a conventional commercial nature, fired bypropane, butane, or other suitable gas of a combustible nature available from source 74, which may be a commercially available tank.

FIG. 13 illustrates placement of a source of heat 28, of any desirable type, above the ground or other support surface for cooking and/or warming food on a separate additional platform disposed above heat source 28 of FIG. 13.

Reference is now made to FIG. 14, which illustrates that the post may have any suitable cross sectional configuration which may be, but is not required to be circular in cross section. More specifically, post 20′ is illustrated as being square or rectangular in cross section and the associated outwardly extending tab 24 comprises a square or rectangular aperture 30′, which is sized so as to be slightly greater than the cross-sectional size of post 20′. In this embodiment, the platform associated with tab 24 and aperture 30′ can be adjusted up and down in the manner explained herein, but cannot be rotated. To change the horizontal orientation, the platform must be removed from the post, rotated and placed over the post at aperture 30′.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the central characteristics thereof. The present embodiments therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. 

1. A fastenerless assembly for processing food comprising: an erect post comprised of an exposed upper end and a predetermined cross sectional size; at least one platform comprising an aperture therein the size of which is slightly greater than the cross sectional size of the post; the aperture being telescopically inserted over the post to suspend the platform; fastenerless structure by which the suspended platform is held by gravity in a selected cantilevered position on the post to receive heat by which food on the platform is warmed and cooked.
 2. An assembly according to claim 1 where the predetermined cross section of the post is selected from the group consisting of a rounded exterior surface and a series of flat exterior surfaces.
 3. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the post comprises a lower end held erect by a support selected from the group consisting of the ground, concrete and a pedestal.
 4. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the at least one platform is selected from the group consisting of a solid platform and a porous platform.
 5. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the aperture is disposed in a tab of the platform, the tab being selected from the group consisting of tabs located inside the perimeter of the platform and tabs located outside of the perimeter of the platform.
 6. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the fastenerless structure is selected from the group consisting of opposed aperture surfaces engaged by a gravity caused moment imposed by a tilting of the platform in respect to the horizontal and a support pin engaged in a recess of the post.
 7. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the heat is obtained from a heat source selected from the group consisting of a concrete engaging heat source, a ground engaging heat source and a heat source supported by an additional platform mounted upon the post.
 8. An outdoor apparatus for cooking food comprising: a vertically extending column; at least one cooking tray releasibly and adjustably gravity mounted without fasteners in cantilevered relation on the column to receive heat from beneath to cook food on the tray.
 9. A method of cooking food comprising the acts of: placing food on a cooking tray; releasibly and adjustably mounting the cooking tray without fasteners in cantilevered relation on a vertically-extending column; applying heat to the mounted cooking tray from beneath the tray to cook the food on the tray.
 10. An outdoor apparatus for cooking food comprising: a vertically extending column; a cooking tray releasibly and adjustably gravity mounted without fasteners in cantilevered relation on the column to receive heat from beneath to cook food resting on the cooking tray; a heat source tray releasibly and adjustably gravity mounted in cantilevered relation on the column below the cooking tray whereby heat from oxidation of fuel on top of the heat source tray to cook food resting on the cooking tray.
 11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the heat source comprises briquettes.
 12. A method of cooking food comprising the acts of: placing food on a cooking tray; releasibly and adjustably mounting the cooking tray without fasteners in cantilevered relation on a vertically-extending column; applying heat to the mounted cooking tray from a second tray mounted beneath the tray on the column to cook the food on the cooking tray. 